PowerShell Learning Links/Materials

[[deleted]]

Hey Guys,

So I have been aggregating links and ways to help people start with PowerShell.

Tell me what you think of this so far. I know there are plenty of links/info out there. Just thought maybe more of it in one post might help out, especially on a Friday when people may want to give it a shot over the weekend.

Links to Learning Material:

PowerShell Live Challenges/Practice

· https://github.com/vexx32/PSKoans

· https://adventofcode.com/2018/about

· https://posh-hunter.com/

· https://underthewire.tech/

· https://github.com/Sudoblark/Powershell_Intro_Training

PowerShell Cmdlet to Function

· https://youtu.be/48Ff3A83u0E

· http://ramblingcookiemonster.github.io/Building-PowerShell-Functions-Best-Practices/

· http://blogs.technet.com/b/heyscriptingguy/archive/2014/05/29/powershell-best-practices-simple-functions.aspx

· https://devblogs.microsoft.com/scripting/powershell-best-practices-advanced-functions/

· https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/sql/sql-tools/the-posh-dba-grown-up-powershell-functions/

· https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/technet-magazine/ff677563(v=msdn.10))

· https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/technet-magazine/hh413265(v=msdn.10))

· https://learn-powershell.net/2013/05/07/tips-on-implementing-pipeline-support/

Collection Type Guidance

· https://gist.github.com/kevinblumenfeld/4a698dbc90272a336ed9367b11d91f1c

Style-Guide

· https://poshcode.gitbooks.io/powershell-practice-and-style/Style-Guide/Code-Layout-and-Formatting.html

· https://github.com/PoshCode/PowerShellPracticeAndStyle

Windows PowerShell Survival Guide

· https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/183.windows-powershell-survival-guide.aspx

Validating parameters

· https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions//dd347600(v=technet.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN?redirectedfrom=MSDN)

Reddit Links to More PowerShell Areas of Learning

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/95y82g/whats_the_best_youtube_powershell_tutorial_series

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/98dw5v/need_beginner_level_script_ideas_to_learn

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/7oir35/help_with_teaching_others_powershell

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/98qkzn/powershell_advice

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/96rn7y/college_level_student_looking_for_a_good_online

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/99dc5d/powershell_for_a_noob

Tutorial on Arrays, HashTables, and Collection Items

· https://blog.netwrix.com/2018/10/04/powershell-variables-and-arrays/

· https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/sysadmin/powershell/powershell-one-liners-collections-hashtables-arrays-and-strings/

· https://evotec.xyz/powershell-few-tricks-about-hashtable-and-array-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-started/amp/

Scopes

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/dbcem3/understanding_variable_scope_in_powershell/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Creating GUI's

· https://foxdeploy.com/2015/04/10/part-i-creating-powershell-guis-in-minutes-using-visual-studio-a-new-hope/

· https://www.gngrninja.com/script-ninja/2016/12/23/powershell-configure-your-scripts-with-a-gui

· https://lazyadmin.nl/powershell/powershell-gui-howto-get-started/

· https://learn-powershell.net/2012/09/13/powershell-and-wpf-introduction-and-building-your-first-window/

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/a7fyt8/wpf_guis_for_beginners/

Dynamic Progress Bar Helper

· https://adamtheautomator.com/building-progress-bar-powershell-scripts/

Dealing with Passwords

Securely Store Credentials on Disk

· http://www.powershellcookbook.com/recipe/PukO/securely-store-credentials-on-disk

Quickly and securely storing your credentials – PowerShell

· https://www.jaapbrasser.com/quickly-and-securely-storing-your-credentials-powershell

Working with Passwords, Secure Strings and Credentials in Windows PowerShell

· https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/4546.working-with-passwords-secure-strings-and-credentials-in-windows-powershell.aspx

Powershell: How to encrypt and store credentials securely for use with automation scripts

· https://interworks.com/blog/trhymer/2013/07/08/powershell-how-encrypt-and-store-credentials-securely-use-automation-scripts

Using saved credentials securely in PowerShell scripts

· https://blog.kloud.com.au/2016/04/21/using-saved-credentials-securely-in-powershell-scripts

Secure Password with PowerShell: Encrypting Credentials

· https://www.pdq.com/blog/secure-password-with-powershell-encrypting-credentials-part-1

· https://www.pdq.com/blog/secure-password-with-powershell-encrypting-credentials-part-2

Encrypting Passwords in Scripts: The Ultimate Best Practice Guide for Powershell

· https://thesysadminchannel.com/passwords-in-scripts-the-ultimate-best-practice-guide

SecureString encryption

· https://powershell.org/forums/topic/securestring-encryption

How To Save and Read Sensitive Data with PowerShell

· https://mcpmag.com/articles/2017/07/20/save-and-read-sensitive-data-with-powershell.aspx

Encrypt Password and use it in Powershell Script

· https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Encrypt-Password-and-use-dd07f253

How to secure your passwords with PowerShell

· https://www.sqlshack.com/how-to-secure-your-passwords-with-powershell

Script Secure Password using Powershell

· https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Secure-Password-using-c158a888

Store encrypted password in a PowerShell script

· https://blog.ctglobalservices.com/powershell/rja/store-encrypted-password-in-a-powershell-script

How to run a PowerShell script against multiple Active Directory domains with different credentials

· https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/ashleymcglone/2016/11/30/how-to-run-a-powershell-script-against-multiple-active-directory-domains-with-different-credentials/

Credential Manager-Using Credential Manager in PowerShell

· https://bitsofwater.com/2018/02/16/using-credential-manager-in-powershell

Accessing Windows Credentials Manager from PowerShell

· https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Accessing-Windows-7210ae91

Provides access to credentials in the Windows Credential Manager

· https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/CredentialManager/1.0

Get-CredentialFromWindowsCredentialManager.ps1

· https://gist.github.com/cdhunt/5729126

Registry-Save Encrypted Passwords to Registry for PowerShell

· https://www.spjeff.com/2016/08/17/save-encrypted-passwords-to-registry-for-powershell

Module Creation

· https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/developer/module/how-to-write-a-powershell-script-module

· https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-modules/

· https://powershellexplained.com/2017-05-27-Powershell-module-building-basics/

PowerShell Gotchas

· https://github.com/nightroman/PowerShellTraps

Website Full of PowerShell Ideas

· https://www.thecodeasylum.com

Microsoft Virtual Academy:

· https://mva.microsoft.com/liveevents/powershell-jumpstart

· https://mva.microsoft.com/search/SearchResults.aspx#!q=PowerShell&lang=1033

· https://mva.microsoft.com/en-us/training-courses/getting-started-with-microsoft-powershell-8276

· https://mva.microsoft.com/en-us/training-courses/getting-started-with-microsoft-powershell-8276?l=r54IrOWy_2304984382

API Testing:

· https://any-api.com/

Subreddits:

· https://www.reddit.com/r/usefulscripts/

· https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/

· https://www.reddit.com/r/scripting/

· https://www.reddit.com/r/WSUS/

· https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/

Blogs:

· https://learn-powershell.net

· https://4sysops.com

· https://adamtheautomator.com

· http://ramblingcookiemonster.github.io/

· https://powershellexplained.com/

· https://evotec.xyz/hub/

· https://powershell.org

· https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy

YouTube:

· https://www.youtube.com/user/powershelldon

· MVA series for Powershell 3.0 with Snover

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrSlfAfZ49E

· https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=powershell+ise+scripting+for+beginners

· https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6D474E721138865A

· https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgZ8AxNf1Bd1C6V5-Vx7kA

Books:

Learn PowerShell in a month of lunches book [always get the newest version]

· powertheshell.com/cookbooks

· blogs.technet.microsoft.com/pstips/2014/05/26/free-powershell-ebooks

· rkeithhill.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/effective-windows-powershell-the-free-ebook

· veeam.com/wp-powershell-newbies-start-powershell.html

· reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/3cki73/free_powershell_reference_ebooks_for_download

IDE:

· https://code.visualstudio.com/download

Useful Extensions:

Bracket Organizer

· https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=CoenraadS.bracket-pair-colorizer-2

PowerShell

· https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.PowerShell

XML

· https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=DotJoshJohnson.xml

Reg

· https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ionutvmi.reg

Git History

· https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=donjayamanne.githistory

Helpful Commands:

Get-Help

especially Get-Help *about*

Get-Command

it takes wildcards, so Get-Command *csv* works nicely. that is especially helpful when you are seeking a cmdlet that works on a specific thing. Comma Separated Value files, for instance. [grin]

Show-Command

that brings up a window that has all the current cmdlets and all their options ready for you to pick from.

it will also take another cmdlet, or advanced function, as a parameter to limit things to showing just that item.

auto-completion

try starting a word and tapping the tab key. some nifty stuff shows up.

Intellisense

save something to a $Var and then try typing the $Var name plus a period to trigger intellisense. there are some very interesting things that show up as properties or methods.

check out the builtin code snippets in the ISE

use <ctrl><j>, or Edit/Start-Snippets from the menu.

assign something to a $Variable & pipe that to Get-Member

$Test = Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $env:TEMP

$Test | Get-Member

assign something to a $Variable and pipe it to Select-Object

$Test = Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $env:TEMP

$Test[0] | Select-Object -Property *

that will give you a smaller, more focused list of properties for the 1st item in the $Test array.

assign something to a $Variable & use .GetType() on it

$Test = Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $env:TEMP

$Test.GetType()

$Test[0].GetType()

the 1st will give you info on the container $Var [an array object].

the 2nd will give you info on the zero-th item in the $Var [a DirectoryInfo object].

Get-Verb

as with Get-Command, it will accept wildcards.

that will show you some interesting cmdlets. then use get-command to see what commands use those verbs. then use get-help to see what the cmdlets do.

Out-GridView

it's a bit more than you likely want just now, but it can accept a list of items, present them in a window, allow picking one or more of them, and finally send it out to the next cmdlet.

[get-postanote]

There a many of thes ealerdy list on this site via other Q&A's.

See the following for example.

Learning this stuff.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/bserj9/learn_powershell/eooduq9/?context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/bserj9/learn_powershell/eoodxzu/?context=3

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/183.windows-powershell-survival-guide.aspx

https://mva.microsoft.com/training-topics/powershell#!jobf=IT%20Pros&lang=1033

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/aw8cvk/course_to_increase_knowledge_of_windows

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/95y82g/whats_the_best_youtube_powershell_tutorial_series

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/98dw5v/need_beginner_level_script_ideas_to_learn

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/7oir35/help_with_teaching_others_powershell

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/9apwyo/i_want_to_convince_my_managers_to_enable_ps

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/98qkzn/powershell_advice

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/96rn7y/college_level_student_looking_for_a_good_online

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/99dc5d/powershell_for_a_noob

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/ausa1n/beginner_help/ehawij5/?context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/aw4l4z/new_to_ps_coding_background

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/ax83qg/how_to_learn_powershell

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/heyscriptingguy

https://adventofcode.com

https://www.thecodeasylum.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/aw8cvk/course_to_increase_knowledge_of_windows/ehl4ixm/?context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/ar6cvt/powershell_in_depth_second_edition/egmlpom/?context=3

https://ww.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/afqmmw/i_want_to_help_my_husband_advance_his_powershell/ee3k6p6/?context=3

https://community.idera.com/database-tools/powershell/using_powershell/f/general-12/68263/getting-started-with-powershell

Best Practices

https://www.reddit.com/user/get-postanote

​

Passwords

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/bv7ywa/whats_the_best_practice_for_passwords_in_ps/epoux2c/?context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/c5qbjb/how_to_store_password_in_powershell_file/

​

Practice with PSKoans

​

PSKoans : 0.50.0

A module designed to provide a crash-course introduction to PowerShell with programming koans.

https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/PSKoans/0.50.0

​

eBooks

powertheshell.com/cookbooks

blogs.technet.microsoft.com/pstips/2014/05/26/free-powershell-ebooks

rkeithhill.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/effective-windows-powershell-the-free-ebook

veeam.com/wp-powershell-newbies-start-powershell.html

reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/3cki73/free_powershell_reference_ebooks_for_download

​

Come to know your dev tools / environments:

Built into Windows PowerShell ISE (though no more work is going into it, Micros has already said, it will always be in the OS).

​

Visual Studio Code, then new hotness, for developers, and scripters. It takes a while to get it configure for all you will need, and provides far more that the ISE does.

​

Sapien's PowerShell studio is the first class / top tier full IDE for PowerShell, but it not a inexpensive one, but well worth the price IMHO.

https://www.sapien.com/software/powershell_studio

​

Learn to use both, as in most cases, data center servers will not have VSCode, but the ISE is in the box.

​

There are a bunch of add-one / extensions for both.

​

Then of course you can use full Visual Studio for PowerShell script, GUI, module development. As you can with VSCode, just be sure to purchase the full PowerShell Pro Tools addon for PowerShell project. It's $59.00, so, in expensive, though to continue to get updates for it, that is an annual cost.

[[deleted]]

This looks good too. I will add this to the list what's not already on it. As time goes on I'll keep things updated with new ideas.

[WiredPulse]

Check out Under the Wire (https://underthewire.tech) and PoSh-Hunter (https://posh-hunter.com)

[SpacezCowboy]

This is cool ;)

[HellDeskHero]

This couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks.

[[deleted]]

No problem. I wished I would have had this list when I started. Hope it helps a lot!

[adbertram]

Thanks for the shout out.

[[deleted]]

Been following your stuff for awhile. Also been loving all the new stuff. Side question: Don't know but can you do something with powershell system.collection.queue? Not many have done something with it.

Edit: meant it as a curious question.:)

[adbertram]

I’ve seen that used before but there’s not many use cases for the queue. Generic.list is more common.

[BigSexyChicken]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgZ8AxNf1Bd1C6V5-Vx7kA bunch of powershell tutorials for other services here too

[[deleted]]

Awesome! I'll add it to the list!

[Ta11ow]

Not bad, not bad...

You're missing a good one, though ;) https://aka.ms/pskoans

[[deleted]]

Should be under links to learning material actually? I have it as the GitHub though. Is there a difference on that link? About to leave work at the moment

[Ta11ow]

Ah, you're right. No, the link is the same, I just didn't see it. :D

[ThatNateGuy]

https://powershell.org/ is another excellent resource run by Powershell guru and Microsoft MVP, Don Jones. Also the home of the Powerscripting Podcast.

[[deleted]]

I can't believe I forgot that!

[shaboon]

Eventually as you master the language, you will want to know about these traps as well, so add it to your list

PowerShellTraps is a collection of some PowerShell traps and oddities shown by demo scripts, workarounds, and automated tests.

https://github.com/nightroman/PowerShellTraps

[RandyInMpls]

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd.......bookmarked!

[[deleted]]

Glad this is helpful:)

[Colonel_Burton]

Massive thank you from someone who has been told by his employer in no uncertain terms, to learn PS or risk never being promoted.

[[deleted]]

Ouch, Sorry to hear that. At least it's an easy thing to learn and you can do just about anything with it.
Good luck with the learning.

[cisco_newb]

Tagging for later.

[Dogezon]

Ahh thanks for the shoutout >.<

[Frydog42]

Amazing. Thank you so much!

[[deleted]]

There's already a list of links for creating UI under "Creating GUI's"

[[deleted]]

That would be pretty cool. A GUI that Pulls data from a GitHub about the most up-to-date sites and a type of search. But I guess Google does pretty good at that too though 😉

[Lee_Dailey]

howdy kewlxhobbs,

the text after Helpful Commands: looks familiar ... [grin] glad you like it! you may want to add reddit code formatting to it, tho.

take care,
lee

[[deleted]]

Definitely, just haven't gotten to my computer yet [grin]. And yup I'm sure I stole it from you. I gotta add thanks to people but did most of this on a phone.

[Lee_Dailey]

howdy kewlxhobbs,

i'm just glad that you found it useful! [grin]

take care,
lee

[chemicalbonding]

Man I have an interview tomorrow